Issued byEunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

Purpose

The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) intends to publish Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOAs) to re-issue Requests for Applications (RFAs) for both the Collaborative Pediatric Critical Care Research Network (CPCCRN) Clinical Centers and Data Coordinating Center. This re-competition will differ from prior competitions in that the CPCCRN grants will no longer be awarded using a Cooperative Agreement mechanism, because NIH will no longer have a substantive scientific role in performing the research.along with the investigators. Instead, grantees will now be expected to work independently, with NIH staff providing the level of monitoring and oversight typically found in investigator-initiated grants.

This Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and responsive projects.

The FOA is expected to be published in Winter 2019 with an expected application due date in Summer 2020.

The CPCCRN was established in 2005 to conduct multicenter assessments of treatment strategies among critically ill children and to investigate the pathophysiological basis of these life-threatening disease processes. Although the previous funding cycles for the Network have been successful, there remains a significant need to develop evidence-based data to inform care of critically ill children and treatments. Many treatments are based on adult studies which is problematic as pathophysiology often varies between adults and children and multiple therapies found effective in critically ill adults have proven ineffective in children. Given the relatively small and vastly heterogeneous pool of critically ill pediatric patients, multicenter research is necessary to advance the field. A well-supported network of research centers along with a high functioning data coordination function will provide the clinical infrastructure and expertise needed to conduct this critical research.

The network should be prepared to conduct research on any topic relevant to the field of pediatric critical care that requires a multicenter approach to accumulate sufficient data in a clinically relevant time frame. Descriptive, observational, translational and interventional clinical studies will all be within the scope. Basic science studies will not be permitted in response to this funding opportunity.

Given the diverse and expansive lists of potential areas of research in pediatric critical care, it is expected that the next cycle of the network will pursue research focused on the following areas of study:

Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome

Sepsis

Brain Injury

Acute Respiratory Failure

Chronically-Ill Child with Critical Illness

ICU Processes

Palliative Care in Critical Illness

Pediatric Trauma

There is a need to conduct research that not only identifies effective therapies among critically ill children, but also addresses the population(s) most likely to benefit. This approach holds the potential to advance the field beyond negative trials and adult-based therapies to truly evidence-based medicine, specific to select subsets of children and individuals. Applications with an increased focus on precision medicine in pediatric critical care studies will also be given higher priority in the selection process. Other considerations include, but are not limited to, applications that demonstrate diversity in patient populations in terms of disease, race and ethnicity, geographic distribution, and Principal Investigator expertise.

Public/State Controlled Institution of Higher Education
Private Institution of Higher Education
Nonprofit with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institution of Higher Education)
Nonprofit without 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institution of Higher Education)
Small Business
For-Profit Organization (Other than Small Business)
State Government
Indian/Native American Tribal Government (Federally Recognized)
County governments
City or township governments
Special district governments
Independent school districts
Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
Indian/Native American Tribally Designated Organization (Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
U.S. Territory or Possession
Indian/Native American Tribal Government (Other than Federally Recognized)
Regional Organization